Mike and Connie know the reason for Jack's disappearance.
Chapter 9
As the three of them sat in the empty DA's office building, Kim Brody presented a framework of what she knew about the case.
Over twenty years ago Don Lewis aka Don Lang had been the personal physician to the Fatone mob boss.
Don Lewis, or actually Don Lang then, became an FBI informant against the Fatone mob.
The Fatone family have been searching for Don Lewis/Lang ever since.
So for the past 20 years Don Lang has been living under a new identity; given a new life, courtesy of the FBI.
But the Fatone family still wanted to silence him forever.
Yet they have been unsuccessful in locating him.
The Fatone mob's strategy, therefore, had been to bring Lang out in the open by threatening to harm his family and friends.
That explained the possible demise of both women in the picture, Claire Kincaid and Don Lewis/Lang's wife.
"Then…Claire Kincaid…" Connie began slowly, "hers was not a accidental car crash?"
"It appeared to be a car accident back then," said Kim Brody. "We never informed the police about Lang's secret identity. Back then, the coroner had no reason to perform any drug tests. We now suspect her drink may have been tampered with that last night she lived."
"How could Don Lang gamble with Claire's life like that?" Mike asked, "Why didn't he turn himself over to the Fatones to prevent them from killing someone innocent?"
"The FBI may be slightly guilty for that one, I'm afraid," Kim Brody admitted, "Of course, this happened well before I came aboard. The Fatones gave Lang 3 days to exchange her life for his. The FBI convinced Lang that we could save Claire Kincaid by capturing the entire Fatone family. But unfortunately time ran out for us…so their threat was carried out. A tragedy, really."
Poor Claire.
Poor Jack.
"—And Don Lewis', I mean, Don Lang's wife?" asked Mike.
She probably had also met with foul play by the Fatones," Kim Brody said, "Another failure, this time by me. I thought I had wiped out the family." Her expression didn't change, "This latest incident with McCoy proved I hadn't."
"So Jack is the latest person they have abducted in order to get to Don Lang." Connie concluded, "They plan to trade Jack McCoy for Don Lang."
"—And then eventually kill Don Lang," Mike added.
Kim Brody nodded, "Don Lang was instrumental in me locating part of the Fatone family. He deserves his new life. We at the FBI plan to find Jack and keep Don Lang safe."
"Does the FBI know where Don Lang is now?" Mike asked.
Kim Brody shook her head, "He has dropped off our radar, unfortunately."
"So he is finding it hard to trust the FBI, also." Connie noted.
Kim Brody gave Connie a chilly look, "You are not helping matters."
The silence was deafening in the room.
Mike cleared his throat and stood up.
"Look, this is going to be one long night. Why don't I get us some coffee?" he offered, as he left to go to the break room, "And I think, uh, I probably need a change of pants, too."
He got up and departed from the room.
Kim Brody and Connie were alone in the office.
"So, I gather from the scene I witnessed earlier, that you two are an item?" Kim Brody's tone sounded monotone.
Connie was surprised at the question and was curious as to why Kim Brody would even be interested in the answer.
"That is on a need-to-know-basis," answered Connie, "and you obviously don't need to know."
Kim Brody stared coolly at Connie. Then she confidently sat back.
"Touché " Kim Brody conceded, "but actually you've answered my question. If you two had been involved, I believe a woman like you would admit it to a woman like me."
There was silence in the room once more.
Kim Brody confidently leaned back to get comfortable. She glanced around with disinterest and saw Connie's novel sticking out from one of the outside pockets of her briefcase.
"Ahh," Kim Brody said, "An Alexandria Andrews fan."
If it had been any other person, Connie would have loved to discuss the many sequels of her favorite author.
"I find her stories intriguing," Connie answered tersely.
"Have you read the latest one?" Kim Brody asked, with no particular interest in Connie's reply, "Alexandria hooks up with Trent Maxwell, international spy."
"I'd like to read the latest series on my own, if you don't mind," said Connie, "you don't need to spoil the plot for me."
"Oh, of course," said Kim Brody, glancing at her own nicely manicured nails, "I myself find it hard to finish the books because…well my life is so much more exciting than any plot in those books."
If Kim Brody was trying to irritate Connie, it was certainly working.
Kim Brody continued.
"Also I've noticed that those novels don't necessarily portray the real lives of agents. In actuality, we agents find it difficult to maintain a relationship."
Connie didn't have an answer to that.
It didn't matter, for Kim Brody was no longer interested in talking with Connie.
Kim Brody was staring off, looking somewhere outside of the small office.
Connie followed Kim Brody's gaze and saw, through the varied windows, Mike approaching with three hot cups of coffee.
Kim Brody proceeded to watch Mike through the window, "Regretfully, unlike the heroine in the book, I have no Trent Maxwell in my life… "
"…yet…" she added, wistfully focusing on Mike, to Connie's consternation.
Mike entered, oblivious to the earlier conversation, and passed out the coffee.
Connie noticed how Kim Brody gave a flirtatious smile to Mike as she accepted the coffee cup.
Kim Brody shifted herself differently on the chair and let her skirt ride even higher.
Mike didn't seem to notice as he sat next to Connie on the long sofa.
It was now time for Kim Brody to reveal her plan.
"Here is the update on the McCoy case," Kim Brody stated in a matter-of-fact way, "I've made arrangements for the three of us to stay at an FBI "safe house" located near Central Park. We will be staying together in a hotel room."
When she said they would be together in a hotel room, her eyes focused on Mike.
Mike and Connie looked at each other.
The three of them sharing a hotel room?
"Do you really think that is necessary?" Connie asked.
Kim forced herself to turn to Connie.
"If you want to remain safe, yes. You have unknown people chasing you. They know who and where you are. You don't even know who they are. You tell me who has the upper hand."
"I think we are doing fine on our own," Connie pointed out.
"That is very foolish thinking," Kim Brody pointed out, "You need us. With me you can be under the protection of the FBI. Plus the FBI has unlimited resources."
"But for how long?" Mike asked.
"Until we find McCoy," Kim Brody answered him with a smile, "after all, we are a team now."
Kim Brody told them they were a team because she knew that is what they wanted to hear.
But that wasn't really the reason all of them needed to stay at a hotel together.
She actually had three good reasons for keeping the three of them in one place.
The first reason was that she knew this was the only way she could watch them, to make sure they didn't do things on their own.
The second reason was that they actually might help lead her to McCoy. Unbeknowest to them, she had read the updated Volchek file and knew of their involvement in capturing him and his brother. She had to admit that they seemed to be very resourceful.
And, of course, the last reason is she would be sharing a room with Michael Cutter.
It was a win-win-win-win situation for Kim Brody and the FBI.
Connie noticed the looks Kim Brody was beaming to Mike throughout the entire interactions.
She realized Kim Brody's plans included more than just finding Jack McCoy. Her plans also included getting Mike.
Yet she could do nothing about it for she also knew they did need Kim Brody's help. She just hoped she wouldn't live to regret it.
As they got up to go to the hotel, Connie feared she might lose the two most important men in her life.
.
.
My goodness…thank you for all the reviews—you reviewers are the absolute best!
If you have never reviewed before—give it a try! It's fun being part of the story!
I hope I explained the case well enough!
Hope you keep reading.
And remember, you still have the romance to look forward to! (soon, but not yet)
